SHARING WITH ME

The communication for the Louvre ABU DHABI has been around for some months - maybe longer. Marielle and I decided to go the day after the opening. The thousands of people going into the Louvre was enough to daunt the keenest of us all and I cringed for a moment thinking that our exhibition would be flooded. Not at all. We saw it in exceptional conditions. When the Islam gallery opening a few years ago, I tried to see it in the early days but waited for over a year before the crowds had slowed down. I would think that for « Birth of a Museum » will create the same traffic, so we were very fortunate.  On seeing the maquette, my first remark was « now if the Guggenheim was there, I would go to see them both » - something triggered off something else in my mind and later I remembered that the Guggenheim is to be there - the largest in the world, opening in 2017 and the Louvre opens at the end of 2015. I hope I’ll be around to visit them.  The ...

Self Portrait 1988 I was at the Petit Palais at opening time this morning to see the « Paris 1900 » - it would seem that all the tourists and French  had chosen the same day. I was thrown as going to the MAM was not easy and would the Fontana prove to be the same - crowds. Looking across the road I saw this. It had not been my intention to go and see Robert Mapplethorpe.  I certainly don’t know all his photos but even if I admire this portrait of Louise Bourgois which shows her at her best, ...... Louise Bourgois I am not longer seduced by nude men or gay erotica. « Give it a go, » I said and as there was not a queue inside or out, I gave it a go. 


After taking in some 200 photos and photographing photos which is certainly not easy, I had much more respect for Mr Mapplethorpe. 
Somehow I agree with what he said « he wanted people to see his world first as art and second as photography ». Some of the portraits are exceptional...

The week following my trip to Lyon, I was prancing around like a caged lion. It was totally unreasonable of me to go back for the « Peter Grimes ». On the Thursday, one of my incoming emails gave a write up and critics for the opera. « Amazing » - « Stunning » - « Spectacular » with even more superlatives concerning the production, orchestration and voices - it was just too much for me. I turned for another hour and then said « to hell with it - you’re going ». Something told me that I would never have this opportunity again with a « Mr Ono » production. 

So I went. After having picked up my tickets, I decided a fast trot over to the Contemporary museum which I had not seen the first visit. It was a lot further than I thought    I like the houses in Lyon and the shop windows and when I go there - finally - closed in preparation for the next exhibition in May. So I wandered down to the Parc de la Tête d...